


Moving On

by TheSleepyDuelist



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: M/M, Post-Canon, Romance, klance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-01
Updated: 2019-07-01
Packaged: 2020-06-02 09:39:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,269
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19438795
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheSleepyDuelist/pseuds/TheSleepyDuelist
Summary: Keith comes back to Earth to help Lance move on. Post S8 fic.





	Moving On

**Author's Note:**

> Hi!
> 
> This work was a commission by my lovely girlfriend. I have a commission site if you want to see more of my writing: https://neesonswritingcomms.weebly.com/
> 
> Enjoy :)

The field of juniberries were as marvellous as Keith remembered them. Blooming without a care in the world, the pink flowers would flourish, each one of them telling the story of a woman who never got to see the world she created. 

  
  


Keith leans down, carefully placing a hand on one of the petals. It was early in the morning, dew touching the tops of the flowers. It had rained the night before, as he recalls. When he had landed on Earth near these flower fields, it was like a monsoon. Even the sky was grieving. 

  
  


He didn’t visit anyone. Instead, he had stayed in his ship overnight to pass the time. He thought that maybe appearing at three in the morning wasn’t the best idea. Besides, he could get a few hours of sleep in and see Lance with a fresh face. 

  
  


It had been a few years since Allura’s sacrifice. One that weighed on the group heavily. Keith had gotten extremely busy with the Blade, but only for the first year or so. Once the planets that needed aid were given the supplies and relief the Blade could offer, all Keith needed to do was regulate them. And in that time, he had done some thinking. 

  
  


That was the main reason he was here, after all. He had thought a lot about their years in space. Being robbed of their teenage years, of their freedom - it was a heavy weight on everyone. Katie was basically robbed of a childhood, too. But the most hurtful thing was how  _ Lance _ was treated. 

  
  


Sure, he was treated like everyone else. A soldier, a Paladin - now a veteran of war. But he wasn’t, in the end. From what he recalls, he pushed him aside when Lance greeted him, and  _ Keith _ was the one that left him. Left him alone. In the dirt. And with Kuron, too. 

  
  


In his own defence, he thought he could trust him - he thought he was the real Shiro. But he wasn’t, and Lance suffered because of it. And Keith had decided that he had suffered for too long. These flowers, this grief, the tears; it was time to stop it. 

  
  


To make him feel whole again.

  
  


Picking himself up from the juniberries, Keith looks ahead at his goal. Lance’s house sat beside a worn-looking barn, the wood old and the paint peeling. Somehow, despite the danger of rotting wood, it was the most Lance-looking thing that Keith had seen in a while. It was...like  _ home _ . 

  
  


Keith walks down the grit road, taking his time to admire the scenery. All of the flowers were in bloom this season, a blanket of pink surrounding his vision and slowly fading as he makes it to the door. 

  
  


A plain, wooden frame, and the door kept unlocked. Not wanting to be rude and just walk in, Keith knocks three times as he waits for an answer. 

  
  


After the rushed clatter of footsteps, a few yells, and what sounded like a stubbed toe, the door finally opened. And Lance-...had never looked worse. 

  
  


It was 8am. Prime time for a farmer to be up in the morning. And yet, Lance didn’t seem fully awake yet. His hair was disheveled, there were massive bags under his eyes, and he looked as if he hadn’t seen a proper bed in weeks. 

  
  


“Keith?” His voice came out as a croak. 

  
  


“...Lance?” Keith tilts his head a bit, a small smile on his face. 

  
  


“Wh-...why are you here?”

  
  


“Visiting.” 

  
  


Lance seemed entirely baffled by Keith’s response. Or, he had just woken up, and had no idea if Keith was an illusion or not. With a nod, Lance moves the door aside and gestures for Keith to come in as he takes a step back. 

  
  


Just as Keith had figured, it was definitely a homey place. Walking in, he could hear the creak of the old wood floor on his boots. The smell of vanilla filled his nostrils as he saw a candle that was left burning during the night, the burned glass from where the wax burned still sat on the windowsill. 

  
  


It was weird that in this technical age, Lance still chose to live like this. Sure, farms still existed, but everything was so digital now. He supposed it was a way to get in touch with reality, or to remember how things were, and how simple life could be. But...Keith didn’t expect the bare minimum.

  
  


He walks in and moves into what he assumes is the living room, glancing around. As homey as the house felt, Keith wasn’t expecting the bare minimum. A couch, a TV, and that was...it, really. He supposed Lance didn’t spend most of his time here, or that he didn’t have guests often. 

  
  


“Take a seat, I’ll be back in a second.” Lance tells him, going up the creaking stairs to his bedroom, no doubt. 

  
  


Keith does as he’s told, waiting awkwardly for a few moments. He can hear Lance moving around, probably getting better clothes on. He looked like he had slept in the overalls he was wearing, and honestly? Keith thought the farm-boy look was kind of cute on him. Lance really did embrace the lifestyle, didn’t he?

  
  


In a few minutes, Lance is back downstairs. A fresh pair of jeans, a blue patterned flannel, and some worn out socks. He looked pretty comfy, but he seemed as if he had just woken up after years of sleep, still wanting to jump back into bed and go for a few more. 

  
  


“You look...awful, by the way.” Keith points out, Lance taking a seat across from him. 

  
  


“I  _ am _ a farmer now, Keith. If you’ve ever seen a farmer, you know that they don’t look like they’ve slept in weeks.”

  
  


“It’s concerning.”

  
  


Lance raises a brow, placing his hand on his palm. “Since when were you ever concerned about me?”

  
  


_ Always _ , Keith wants to say, but he has a feeling Lance doesn’t want to accept that. Instead, he smirks a bit, trying to play along instead. He can see the lines on Lance’s face, though. He can still see the sadness permanently etched on his features. The markings he now bears. 

  
  


“Good point. But, I did come to see you, so that must say something.”

  
  


Lance sits up, his flamboyant gestures taking over most of his actions as he seems mildly flabbergasted. “Whoa whoa whoa, wait. You came to see me and not Shiro?”

  
  


“...Yeah?” Keith, understandably, is confused. 

  
  


“What the hell, Keith? He’s like, your brother. Why haven’t you seen him?”

  
  


“I wanted to see you first. Is that so unbelievable?”

  
  


“ _ Yeah _ !” Keith rolls his eyes at Lance’s comment. “Why are you here to see _ me _ before Shiro?”

  
  


“I’m not here to see Shiro at all,” Keith finally declares, leaning back in his seat, “just you, actually.”

  
  


The look on Lance’s face was...very confusing, to say the least. His brows furrowed as he heard Keith speak, his face contorted in a way to convey his disbelief to the highest degree. Keith can even  _ hear _ the cogs turning in his brain as he tries to figure out what that means. What Keith means. The answer is a lot simpler than Lance might think, but Keith knows Lance’s brain, and Lance’s brain won’t go for that.

  
  


“...Why?”

  
  


A good question. And although Keith knows the answer, he doesn’t know if he can say it. Would Lance accept the truth this early? Of course not. So, of course, he’d have to extend the truth a bit. It’s not lying that way, right?

  
  


“Well, I haven’t spoken to you in a while...and…” Keith’s eyes are darting around as he tries to avoid eye contact, and also to come up with a better excuse or fabrication to his truth, “I wanted to...see you.”

  
  


Lance raises a brow, “S’that it?”

  
  


“Pretty much.”

  
  


“Oh-...kay...well, I guess...hi? How are you?” Lance laughs a bit.

  
  


Smiling at how Lance has finally accepted Keith’s arrival, Keith answers. “I’m doing good, Lance. We made some real progress with the Blades, and everything so far is pretty stable. I had some time off, so I came to see you. The flowers you planted are...really beautiful, you know.”

  
  


Lance has to pause at that. He nods slowly, his fingers making a mess of the armrest on the couch. He stares off into the distance, unsure how to respond. But, a small smile comes to his face. 

  
  


“That’s what I...dedicated my life to, y’know. Spreading the message that Allura would have wanted. Those flowers are for her.”

  
  


“She did what she had to, Lance. I wish there was another way.”

  
  


Lance looks down, sighing. “We all do. But, it’s been a while, so it’s best to...find a way to move on, right? And this is my way.”

  
  


Keith is upset by that. He gets up from his seat, moving over to Lance and plopping down beside him. Lance smiles, happy to have his comfort. 

  
  


“She was great, you know. One of the best people I’ve ever met.” Keith starts, watching as Lance’s face turns into a wide smile. “And she always put others before herself. It...must be why Allura did that in the end.”

  
  


“She probably knew,” Lance looks at Keith now, face solemn but stern enough so he doesn’t cry, “after everything with her Father, and how Alfor was… Allura probably knew her fate from the beginning. She would have done  _ anything _ to protect the Universe. To protect those she loved.” 

  
  


He sighs. “I just wish it didn’t end her life.”

  
  


With a silent nod, Keith whole-heartedly agrees. Life without the Princess had been hard for them to handle, especially since it had taken a toll on everyone in their group. Most noticeably, Coran and Lance. It was Lance that Keith was more concerned about, though. He had distanced himself far more than he needed to, and Keith had barely been able to see him since he got so busy with the Blade.

  
  


But...he had time now. 

  
  


And he couldn’t resist it any longer. He stares at Lance, at his sombre expression, and slowly takes his hand. Lance looks at Keith, biting his lip to try and fight back tears. Eventually, he twines their fingers together, a tiny tear rolling down his cheek. 

  
  


“I missed you.” Lance whispers. 

  
  


Keith smiles, his expressions soft as he tries to give Lance the most sincere face that he could. “I missed you too, Lance.”

  
  


The broken man in front of him starts to crack. Lance wipes at his eyes, trying to think of something else to do other than cry. This was a big thing for him. Seeing Keith after so long, not able to have contact with him for what felt like  _ years _ . And Keith was the same, unable to see Lance or speak to him, unable to tell him how he feels. 

  
  


But now...he has a feeling that he can. And he knows that now, Lance might be able to accept it. 

  
  


“Come with me a sec.” Keith's brows raise as Lance drags him up from the couch, taking him to the front door. They’re still holding hands. 

  
  


“Where are we going?”

  
  


“You’ll see.”

  
  


\---

  
  
  


Keith wasn’t expecting this. 

  
  


Lance had brought them both to the fields, filled with the flowers that he had seen on his way here. The wind had picked up, the sun rising into the sky to create a summery breeze. Keith didn’t even remember what day or month it was. It was just calming to be here. 

  
  


Down, through an acre of flowers, they would make it to what looked to be a shrine. Keith couldn’t help but instinctively squeeze Lance’s hand as he saw the most beautiful dedication to Allura that he had seen in a while. 

  
  


Of course, the statue at the Castle of Lions was amazing. But this...was hand-crafted. A beautiful array of flowers in her form, all of them juniberries, in her silhouette. Keith’s jaw hung open in the sheer awe of it all. 

  
  


“That’s...beautiful, Lance. Who made this?” Keith asks, afraid to even get closer. 

  
  


Lance moved them forward though, a small pool around her body coming into view. It was so gorgeous. It really captured the true nature of Allura, in all of her essence. 

  
  


“I made it…” he murmurs, a little shyly, “I made it just for her, actually. After everyone left and did their own things, I found peace in making this shrine for her. The mesh wiring keeps it all up, and it doesn’t seem to ever wilt.”

  
  


Keith smiles, watching Lance’s expression turn as soft as it possibly could. “I guess it was a good way to cope. It’s...stunning. Just like her.”

  
  


They stand in silence for a few moments, fingers still twined and eyes glued to the flowers in front of them. It seems like it lasts forever, almost as if the moment was frozen in time. Keith was silently waiting for the right moment to understand Lance’s emotions. He wanted to tell him, he wanted to let him know. And it had to be now, otherwise he would never do it. 

  
  


And he was about to speak up, when…

  
  


“Y’know, Keith…” Lance starts, gaze cast to the ground, “it was around about when I finished making her that I realised… It doesn’t have to be like this anymore. I had no-one to talk to, really, or well - no-one who understood. And my mind kept coming back to one thing. I still want a family, Keith. I still want to be with someone. But it wasn’t Allura. She was destined to change the world, and I realise that now.”

  
  


Keith feels his heart rate increase. He feels his pulse quickening, and his hopes going up. “Lance...what do you mean?”

  
  


“I mean that...I’ve had enough of being upset. Of grieving. I think it’s time to move on. And I know Allura, and I dated her, and I think that was all I was destined to do. I helped her achieve her goal, and now it’s time I think of my own.” Lance turns to face Keith, looking at their still joined hands, and smiles. 

  
  


“I thought that maybe it was because I hadn’t seen you in a while, or because you had been so busy...but I realised that maybe there was something there that I was too blind to see all along.” Keith can’t believe what he’s hearing. He came here to confess, and...is he getting a confession instead?

  
  


“That’s a long-winded way of saying you missed me,” Keith teases, unsure how else to respond, “but...it’s the same for me, too. I couldn’t stop thinking about you, Lance.”

  
  


“Yeah, well...I couldn’t stop thinking about you, either. Your hair and how badly I wanted to run my fingers through it, your eyes and how beautiful they are, and how you were there for me when no-one else was. And I know now that you leaving for the Blade was the best thing for you, but it hurt.”

  
  


“It hurt me, too. I never intended to leave like that.” Keith turns to fully face Lance now, and somehow both of their hands join together. It feels...right.

  
  


Lance takes a step forward, and suddenly there’s a gust between them. It blows their hair back, and Keith can see the emotion change in Lance’s face. And honestly, he can’t help himself from smiling. 

  
  


_ This _ was the Lance he wanted to bring back. The Lance he remembered. The one who was happy, the one who teased him, the one who always stuck by him even though his decisions were god-awful. 

  
  


_ This was the Lance he fell in love with _ .

  
  
  


“You’re here now. You came back. And that’s...that’s more than anyone could have asked for, Keith. More than what I asked for. And it was when you came back that I thought that...maybe...maybe we should...talk more.”

  
  


Keith can’t help the small chuckle that comes from his throat. “You’re terrible at this, you know?”

  
  


“Hey!” Lance huffs. “I’m _ great  _ at this, okay?”

  
  


Keith’s laughing now, not realising that they’re both getting closer. It’s only when Lance is just inches away that he sees him, and by God, he’s so beautiful. He looks a lot happier than he did when Keith first arrived here, and that makes his heart soar. 

  
  


“Great at this, huh?”

  
  


“Sh-shut up, Mullet.”

  
  


The old nickname. Keith can’t control his laughter and light chuckles, and Lance can’t help but join in. And soon they’re both covering their mouths, trying not to double over with heart-filled laughter, light blushes dusting both of their cheeks. It’s a scene neither of them had experienced in a long, long time. 

  
  


When the laughter dies down, a warm air surrounds the two. For some reason, it feels familiar. As if a presence was surrounding them, keeping them warm, edging them to go on.

  
  


“I sort of lied earlier...when I said I came here to see you,” Keith is bashful now, gaze darting around, “there was more to it than that.” 

  
  


“I kinda figured, considering you’re a terrible liar.”

  
  


Keith huffs fondly, “ _ Anyway _ ,” he continues, causing Lance to laugh again, “I came here because I had something to tell you. Something I thought you...needed to hear.”

  
  


Lance raises a brow, “Okay…? I’m listening.”

  
  


Taking a deep breath, Keith readies himself. Lance can hear this now. He’s listening, he’s prepared, and he can take what Keith has to offer. 

  
  


“I said it earlier, but...I have been thinking about you a lot. It drove me to see you first because I think I would have gone crazy if I didn’t get this out. Lance, I know you might...still be thinking of Allura, or thinking about everything, but it’s time to move on. And you just told me you were ready for that. So...I want to help.” 

  
  


Lance’s eyes widen. He knows where this is going, and all Keith needs to do is find the words to get there. Carefully, like treading through deep waters, he needs to find the right sentence to say what he needs to. 

  
  


...But when was he ever good at that?

  
  


“I want to help you, because…” Keith looks up into Lance’s eyes, “I love you, Lance. And not just like a friend, not just like we’ve all loved each other throughout the years. Like you loved Allura. Like Allura loved you.”

  
  


It’s as if Lance didn’t already know it was coming. Keith hears his breath hitch, his voice quiver, and the grip on his hands tighten. And it’s then that he sees the tears rolling down his face, the happiness come to his features. 

  
  


“I think I’m ready for that now, Keith.” He whispers, so gentle that it’s almost caught with the wind. “I’m...ready to love you. It’s what Allura would have wanted, isn’t it? For me to move on, to be happy…” Lance takes a sharp breath, “and I think I can be happy with you.”

  
  


It’s the first time Keith has been happy to see Lance cry. Slowly, he closes the gap between them, squeezing his hands as their lips meet. The breeze sweeps past them, warm and gentle, carrying them into each other’s embrace.

A small drop of dew drops from the flowers on the sculpture fall from the eyes. Finally, _ finally _ , Lance has been able to find the courage to move on. And Keith would be with him every step of the way.


End file.
